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Tag: creative leadership

  • Goafest day two blends bold ideas, brand battles and billboard truths under the Goan sun

    Goafest day two blends bold ideas, brand battles and billboard truths under the Goan sun

    MUMBAI: The second day at Goafest 2025 closed on a power-packed note, stitching together the evolving face of leadership, storytelling, advertising, and digital strategy with candid charm and calculated insight.

    The post-lunch energy got a creative jolt with the session ‘WTF is Creative Leadership Now?’, where industry veterans Bobby Pawar, Sonal Dabral, Senthil Kumar and Lulu Raghavan broke down the evolving role of the CCO. “If you’re not in an agency where the CCO is central, you’re in the wrong one”, Bobby declared, dubbing the creative head the “instigator-in-chief”. Lulu called for reinstating the CCO as the creative spine, not a spreadsheet slave. Sonal framed the role as a bridge between brand vision and talent culture. Rohit Ohri summed it up: “The CCO today isn’t the loudest in the room but the one who builds safe, collaborative spaces”.

    Next, Amazon MX Player’s Karan Bedi spotlighted the streaming surge. With over 1.4 billion downloads and 250 million active users, MX is doubling down on drama, romance, and reality content across Amazon platforms. “Streaming video ads are outperforming other formats in brand recall”, Bedi noted, predicting digital video advertising will eclipse TV within a year. He laid out a full-funnel strategy integrating shopping signals, micro-dramas and show-based storytelling to help brands find their tribe.

    The attention then shifted outdoors in the IOAA-backed panel ‘The Last Unskippable Medium’. Times OOH’s Shekhar Narayanaswami noted, “You can’t swipe past a billboard”. Ajay Kakar called for killing the ‘digital vs non-digital’ binary. Promita Saha urged brands to go beyond metros, tapping cultural hotspots like melas. Sandeep Bommireddi argued that digital is a horizontal layer across all media. Dipankar Sanyal closed with a reminder: “OOH isn’t guesswork anymore. It’s data-backed, measurable and fiercely effective”.

    In a lighter yet no-nonsense fireside chat titled ‘Why So Serious?’, Gautam Gambhir disarmed the crowd with brutal honesty. “10,000 runs don’t matter. Match-winning moments define you”, he said. Speaking on leadership and legacy, Gambhir urged youth to make peace with mistakes: “If you take a decision with the right intent, it’s okay to be wrong”. His message: play for the common man, not the broadcaster.

    The storytelling baton passed to ‘Rewriting the Rules of Storytelling’ featuring Suniel Shetty and Deepak Dhar. Shetty spoke of action, discipline and emotional arcs. “Fitness isn’t just muscles, it’s sustainable health”, he said, describing Hunter Season 2 as more heart than hammer. Dhar unpacked Rise and Fall as a metaphorical hustle between privilege and grit. “Great content is built on process and passion”, he said.

    The day wound down with Wine & Cheese hosted by Amazon MX Player, followed by a musical showdown at ‘Advertising Rocks’, giving agency folks their moment to rock the mic. Delegates gathered for a breezy sundowner powered by Truecaller & Big Live before the night turned up with Abby Awards 2025. Set India, Sony Sab and Sharechat handed out honours in digital, design, PR, mobile, and broadcaster categories.

    Masterclasses by Shahad Anand (MediaKart), Sana Shaikh (Flipkart), Nick Eagleton (D&AD), and Senthil Kumar (VML) provided hands-on insights into next-gen ads, innovation pipelines, storytelling craft, and split-second narratives.

    As Goa’s salty breeze cooled the creative heat, day two proved that in a world of scrolls and skips, stories, strategy and serendipity still rule the game.

    Stay tuned as Goafest 2025 enters its final day. For the day three agenda, visit: https://www.goafest.com/goafest2025/event-schedule.php

  • Salt just got tastier as Sudeep Puthyathaya steps in as executive creative director

    Salt just got tastier as Sudeep Puthyathaya steps in as executive creative director

    MUMBAI: Just when you thought salt was merely seasoning your fries, along comes Salt Brand Solutions, sprinkling some creative magic into its leadership pot. Picture this: seasoned storyteller Sudeep Puthyathaya struts into Salt’s Mumbai office, bringing with him over 23 years of crafting iconic brand stories and enough creative spice to make even a bland briefing taste delicious. Could this be the recipe for ‘Salt 2.0’ we’ve all been waiting for?

    On 11 March 2025, Salt Brand Solutions announced the hiring of Puthyathaya as its new executive creative director, joining the existing duo—executive director Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar and director Mahesh Chauhan (Mash)—who’ve been shaking things up for quite some time.

    Welcoming the newest spice in Salt’s creative curry, Mash said, “This is a significant step towards further strengthening Salt’s creative leadership.” He further added, “with Sagar, Sudeep, and me coming together, it definitely will add great value to our clients, and this makes me truly excited for Salt 2.0.” Indeed, what good is curry without the right spices?

    Echoing his sentiments, Mahabaleshwarkar remarked, “Sudeep brings a deep understanding of storytelling that connects with real people. His craft in creating human insight-led narratives perfectly complements the creative force we are building at Salt.” Translation? Expect ads that tug at your heartstrings—or at least your purse strings.

    Puthyathaya isn’t exactly new to the storytelling circus. Having juggled creative campaigns for bigwigs like Mercedes-Benz India, Taj Hotels, Royal Enfield, J&J, and Citibank, he’s now ready to spice things up at Salt. With a passion for ‘human-centred narratives’, his style is less boardroom monotony and more Netflix binge-worthy storytelling.

    “I’ve always believed that the most powerful brands are built on stories that resonate at a human level,” Puthyathaya said. “Salt’s culture of bold, insight-driven thinking is a perfect fit for the kind of work I want to create. I’m excited to collaborate with Mash and Sagar to craft narratives that strengthens brand narratives and leave a lasting impact.” Forget salt bae; it’s story bae season now.

    Adding credibility to his creative cooking skills, Puthyathaya has judged the prestigious New York Festivals and Abby’s, proving he’s not just here to cook up stories—he knows how to taste-test them too.

    Founded in 2011 by Mash, Salt Brand Solutions prides itself on being the invisible yet indispensable seasoning of the branding world. With Sudeep now joining Mash and Sagar, expect the creativity (and the seasoning) to be dialled up to eleven, turning more heads, breaking more norms, and making brand storytelling anything but bland.

  • Vaynermedia Australia hires Denny Handlin to lead creative evolution

    Vaynermedia Australia hires Denny Handlin to lead creative evolution

    MUMBAI: If there’s one thing Vaynermedia Australia knows how to do, it’s making waves. Now, the agency is set to make an even bigger splash with the appointment of Denny Handlin as its new executive creative director. With Handlin at the helm, the agency is doubling down on its mission to redefine integrated, social-first marketing across Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

    Handlin brings an enviable track record, having held leadership roles at Clemenger Group, Meta, and most recently, Tiktok ANZ, where he was head of global business marketing. From steering high-impact campaigns to leading powerhouse creative teams, he has built a reputation for crafting consumer-first strategies that deliver real business impact.

    Speaking about his new role, Handlin said, “I couldn’t be more excited for this new chapter at Vaynermedia, partnering with world-class clients to put social at the centre of everything we do. The team here is already known for its innovative, creative thinking, and I can’t wait to get started and push the boundaries of what’s possible in this space.”

    Reflecting on his time at Tiktok, he added, “I’ve called Tiktok my home for nearly five years, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had there. I’ve worked with an immensely talented team and am proud of what we’ve built together. I truly wish them all the best.”

    In his new role, Handlin will report to Australia country manager Karen Coleman and Vaynermedia’s head of creative for the Asia Pacific region Woei Hern Chan.

    “Denny brings the best of both worlds—a rare blend of big-agency creative expertise and deep platform experience. We’re in our next phase of growth, evolving beyond just great creative and media to a truly integrated, social-first approach that drives business results. Denny is not only an exceptional creative leader but also a builder of high-performance teams and culture—exactly what we need to shape what’s next,” said Coleman.

    With Vaynermedia charging full speed ahead into its next growth phase, Handlin’s appointment signals a commitment to pushing creative limits and delivering marketing that doesn’t just exist in the social space but dominates it.